The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 325: what you’re looking at

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a $14 “I waseo, your Majesty,” responded Travers : and a moan came forth from the throat of the wretched Marchmont. “You remomber the night when the late Duke of Marchmont was murdered P” continued Indora : “and you recollect that the faithfal dog—no doubt in the attempt to eave his beloved master from the assassin-blow, or else to punish him who dealt it— had torn off a piece of the garment worn at the time by that assassin P” “ All this I recollect, madam,” replied Travers. “Enough! enough!” wildly ejaculated March- mont; and hie eyes glared in their cavernous sockets. ‘ Why revive the horrors of that night ? Ob, madam! who are you that you have come as an a p” “TI am here to proclaim innocence and to expose guilt,” was the solemn answer which the Qucen gave in interruption of the Duke’s wild speech. “Travers, reply to me,—reply to me how as truth- fully as you have previously made the confession ! From whose garment was that piece rent off which the faithful dog bore iu its mouth f°” “Tt was his!” responded Travers: and he pointed to Marchmont. Hollow and dreadful was the moan which came slowly forth from the lips of the criminal: a dizzi- ness spread iteelf before his vision; and he would probably have fainted, hed not Queen Indora sad- denly laid her hand lightly upon his arm, saying, ‘Come with me.” She opened an inner door; and Marchmont fol- lowed her. Another room was entered. This also was unchanged as to its usual appointments; and lights were burning there. Christian and Christina Ashton rose from their seats as the Queen entered : they were both very pale with suspense; for they knew that something was to happen which inti- thately regarded themselves—though they were utterly unconscious of what this might be. The Duke did not appear to take particular notice of them: his energies were again palsied—he again felt as if he were walking in « dream ! The Queen closed the door of this room, into which Armytage had not followed herself and Marchmont ; and without an instant’s delay, she snatched up an object which lay in a recess. This object gleamed bright across the vision of the wretched nobleman; and « cry of horror burst from his tips as he recognised it. It was a dag- ger,—that same dagger which has before been so often mentioned in the pages of our narrative. “ Behold,” exclaimed Indora, as she raised the weapon in her right arm, while her form appeared to dilate, and her countenance assumed the ex- pression of an avenging goddess,—“ behold the dagger with which you took the life of your uncle !”—then pointing towards the twins with her left hand, she added, almost in the eame breath, “And there behold the children of your murdered victim! In this youth you may see the rightfal Duke of Marehmont !” “O God!” moaned the wretched murderer: and overwhelmed by fearfullest horror, he sank upon his knees, while the twine elung to each other in wildest astonishment at the words which veey bad just beard from the lips of Queen ee ee THE MYSTERIES OF THB COURT. CHAPTER CXLVI. CLOSES OF THE TRIBUBAL. Tus five witnesses had remained in their seats upon the dais in the large apartment, hung with black, which hed served as the tribunal. The two Hindoo guards had likewise continued in that room, mute and motionless: bat their presence was sufficiently indicative of the inatility of any attempt being made to escape on the part of aay of those witnesses whose own consciences might have excited apprehensions respecting what was to follow. The door communicating with the room in which Sagoonah’s corpee was laid ont, had closed almost immediately efter Indora led prisoner thither; and thus that portion of larger apartment was now involved i ge E in semi-obscurity that prevailed eleew black drapery covered that door whi cently stood half open: solemnly aw to be the aspect of the tribunal. Presently, after nearly an hour’s absence, Indora returned. She came back alone: the pri soner was no longer with her. Her countenance was exceedingly more so than it was EF hd | E f by ere she quitted that apartment: for her feelings had bean most powerfully wrought—and if she had experienced much satisfagtien in sucosesfully the throne. She did not immediately epeak: « dead silence still prevailed for a few minutes, while all the witnesses contemplated her with anxiety and At length she broke that silence. “The solemn object for which this tribunal constituted,” she said, “has been achieved ; by the merciful assistance of heaven I have come the instrument of accomplishing signal this night. Know ye all who listen to me, Bertram Vivian, now « prisoner in a felon’s in London, is innocent of that foal erime merder which is charged against him, and ander the imputation of which his good name has eaf- fered for so many, many long years! I¢ was not by Ads hand that his late unole perished: the baad which dealt the assassin-blow was that of him who has ever since usurped the title of Duke of Mareh- mont!’ TRE s2EE To Madame known : by Wilson Stanhope it hed been for some Weill as the listeners were prepared for the pre- vious announcement,—yet utterly unexpected by them was the intelligence that had just failes an” _ __ a, (A) (COLL OOO SS} (CO